Richard the Third (Modern)

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 1270[2.2]
2.112711173Enter [the] Duchess of York, with 1272Clarence's children.
2.212731174Boy
 Tell me, good granam, is our father dead?
2.312741175Duchess
 No, boy.
2.412751176Boy
 Why do you wring your hands and beat your breast
2.512761177And cry, "Oh Clarence, my unhappy son?"
2.612771178Girl
 Why do you look on us and shake your head
2.712781179And call us wretches, orphans, castaways
2.812791180If that our noble father be alive?
2.912801181Duchess
 My pretty cousins, you mistake me much.
2.1012811182I do lament the sickness of the King,
2.1112821183As loath to lose him, not your father's death.
2.1212831184It were lost labor to weep for one that's lost.
2.1312841185Boy
 Then granam, you conclude that he is dead.
2.1412851186The King my uncle is too blame for this:
2.1512861187God will revenge it, whom I will importune
2.1612871188With daily prayers, all to that effect.
2.1712891189Duchess
 Peace, children, peace, the King doth love you well.
2.1812901190Incapable and shallow innocents,
2.1912911191You cannot guess who caused your father's death.
2.2012921192Boy
 Granam we can: for my good uncle Gloucester
2.2112931193Told me the King, provokèd by the Queen,
2.2212941194Devised impeachments to imprison him.
2.2312951195And when he told me so he wept,
2.2412961196And hugged me in his arm, and kindly kissed my cheek,
2.2512971197And bade me rely on him as in my father,
2.2612981198And he would love me dearly as his child.
2.2712991199Duchess
 Oh, that deceit should steal such gentle shapes,
2.2813001200And with a virtuous vizard hide foul guile.
2.2913011201He is my son, yea, and therein my shame,
2.3013021202Yet from my dugs he drew not this deceit.
2.3113031203Boy
 Think you my uncle did dissemble, granam?
2.3213041204Duchess
 Aye, boy.
2.3313051205Boy
 I cannot think it -- [Wailing within] Hark, what noise is this?
2.341306Enter the Quee[n, in distress].
2.3513081206Queen Elizabeth
 Oh, who shall hinder me to wail and weep,
2.3613091207To chide my fortune and torment myself?
2.3713101208I'll join with black despair against my soul,
2.3813111209And to myself become an enemy.
2.3913121210Duchess
 What means this scene of rude impatience?
2.4013131211Queen Elizabeth
 To make an act of tragic violence:
2.4113141212Edward, my lord, your son, our king is dead.
2.4213151213Why grow the branches now the root is withered?
2.4313161214Why wither not the leaves, the sap being gone?
2.4413171215If you will live, lament; if die, be brief
2.4513181216That our swift-wingèd souls may catch the King's,
2.4613191217Or like obedient subjects, follow him
2.4713201218To his new kingdom of perpetual rest.
2.4813211219Duchess[To the Queen]
 Ah, so much interest have I in thy sorrow
2.4913221220As I had title in thy noble husband:
2.5013231221I have bewept a worthy husband's death
2.5113241222And lived by looking on his images.
2.5213251223But now two mirrors of his princely semblance
2.5313261224Are cracked in pieces by malignant death,
2.5413271225And I for comfort have but one false glass
2.5513281226Which grieves me when I see my shame in him.
2.5613291227Thou art a widow, yet thou art a mother
2.5713301228And hast the comfort of thy children left thee,
2.5813311229But death hath snatched my children from mine arms
2.5913321230And plucked two crutches from my feeble limbs,
2.6013331231Edward and Clarence. Oh, what cause have I
2.6113341232Thine being but moiety of my grief,
2.6213351233To overgo thy plaints and drown thy cries?
2.6313361234Boy[To the Queen]
 Good aunt, you wept not for our father's death;
2.6413371235How can we aid you with our kindred's tears?
2.6513381236Girl[To the Queen]
 Our fatherless distress was left unmoaned,
2.6613391237Your widow's dolors likewise be unwept.
2.6713401238Queen Elizabeth
 Give me no help in lamentation;
2.6813411239I am not barren to bring forth laments:
2.6913421240All springs reduce their currents to mine eyes,
2.7013431241That I, being governed by the watery moon,
2.7113441242May send forth plenteous tears to drown the world.
2.7213451243Oh, for my husband, for my dear Lord Edward.
2.7313461244Both children
 Oh, for our father, for our dear Lord Clarence.
2.7413471245Duchess
 Alas for both, both mine, Edward and Clarence.
2.7513481246Queen Elizabeth
 What stay had I but Edward, and he is gone?
2.7613491247Boy, Girl
 What stay had we but Clarence, and he is gone?
2.7713501248Duchess
 What stays had I but they, and they are gone?
2.7813511249Queen Elizabeth
 Was never widow had so dear a loss.
2.7913521250Both children
 Was never orphans had a dearer loss.
2.8013531251Duchess
 Was never mother had a dearer loss.
2.8113541252Alas, I am the mother of these moans;
2.8213551253Their woes are parcelled, mine are general.
2.8313561254She for an Edward weeps, and so do I.
2.8413571255I for a Clarence weep, so doth not she.
2.8513581256These babes for Clarence weep, and so do I.
2.861358.11257I for an Edward weep, so do not they.
2.8713591258Alas, you three, on me, threefold distressed,
2.8813601259Pour all your tears, I am your sorrow's nurse,
2.8913611260And I will pamper it with lamentations.
2.901374Enter [Richard] with others [including Buckingham].
2.9113761261Richard
 Madam, have comfort, all of us have cause
2.9213771262To wail the dimming of our shining star
2.9313781263But none can cure their harms by wailing them.
2.9413791264Madam my mother, I do cry you mercy,
2.9513801265I did not see your grace; humbly on my knee[Kneels.]
2.9613811266I crave your blessing.
2.9713821267Duchess
 God bless thee, and put meekness in thy mind,
2.9813831268Love, charity, obedience, and true duty.
2.9913841269Richard
 Amen, [He stands.] [Aside] and make me die a good old man;
2.10013851270That's the butt end of a mother's blessing.
2.10113861271I marvel why her grace did leave it out.
2.10213871272Buckingham
 You cloudy princes and heart-sorrowing peers
2.10313881273That bear this mutual heavy load of moan,
2.10413891274Now cheer each other in each other's love;
2.10513901275Though we have spent our harvest of this King
2.10613911276We are to reap the harvest of his son.
2.10713921277The broken rancor of your high-swollen hearts,
2.10813931278But lately splinted, knit, and joined together,
2.10913941279Must gently be preserved, cherished and kept.
2.11013951280Me seemeth good that with some little train
2.11113961281Forthwith from Ludlow the young Prince be fetched
2.11213971282Hither to London, to be crowned our King.
2.11314171283Richard
 Then it be so, and go we to determine
2.11414181284Who they shall be that straight shall post to Ludlow.
2.11514191285Madam, and you my mother, will you go
2.11614201286To give your censures in this weighty business?
2.1171420.11287Both
 With all our hearts.
2.1181421Exeunt, [Richard and Buckingham remain].
2.11914221288Buckingham
 My lord, whoever journeys to the Prince,
2.12014231289For God's sake let not us two stay behind,
2.12114241290For by the way I'll sort occasion,
2.12214251291As index to the story we late talked of,
2.12314261292To part the Queen's proud kindred from the King.
2.12414271293Richard
 My other self, my counsel's consistory,
2.12514281294My oracle, my prophet, my dear cousin!
2.12614291295I like a child will go by thy direction.
2.12714301296Towards Ludlow then, for we will not stay behind.
2.128[Exeunt.]
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Richard the Third (Modern)
